Jack + Leigh Ruby at The Parlour Bushwick this Friday

The Parlour Bushwick opens Show # 7 this Friday with the work of Jack + Leigh Ruby, Steven Arnerich and Lindsay Packer. With the help of producers Eve Sussman and Simon Lee, former insurance scam artists Jack+Leigh Ruby riff on their previous occupation having embarked on a new career as conceptual visual artists. After serving 13 years in prison for a fraud that involved robbing their own house, Jack+Leigh came to rethink how to define their past and their future. Taking one of their staged photographs that they made in the 70’s as a jumping off point and shooting on 35mm film the Ruby’s have created a confounding intrigue entitled Car Wash Incident. From the film quality, to the scenery, to the wardrobe, the aesthetic of the piece matches the original faked evidentiary photograph. Played on old televisions the videos deftly recreate the time period as well as describe an arcane story. Initially deluding corporations the Ruby’s are now using their skills to turn over a new leaf and transform their life. This in turn makes one question the idea of morality. Both how it effects our understanding of reality as well as the role of artists and what they are obligated to present as “truth.”